A date with Yuuki…?

“Why me…”

“Au…”

It was supposed to be a fun outing with the four of us on our day off, but Aisa and Manami suddenly couldn’t make it.

Apparently, there was a distant relative’s passing or something, and while it wasn’t someone close enough to cause them much emotional distress, it seemed they couldn’t just skip showing their faces either.

That’s understandable, so no big deal… but still.

“So… what do we do?”

I figured we could just postpone, but today’s plan was for Yuuki to shop for various things she wanted to replace after her move, which is how we ended up meeting like this.

Aisa and Manami both insisted that it’d be better if they helped carry stuff, and Yuuki didn’t object… or rather, when I hinted at canceling, she bombarded me with messages at lightning speed.

Yuuki’s probably thinking it’d be awkward with just the two of us…

N-No, it’s fine! I really wanted to shop, so if it’s okay with you, Kouki-kun, I’d like to go ahead!

She sent a cute rabbit sticker bowing politely along with that message, so I thought, well, it’ll probably work out. Or so I thought…

“Au…”

Yuuki’s face is already hidden behind her hair, and now she’s shrinking even further, looking down.

Yet, she’s clutching my clothes like she’ll never let go, which kinda reminds me of how Manami used to be…

Can I really get through this without Aisa and Manami? An anxious day was about to begin.

◇

“Next stop’s over there, right?”

“…Yeah.”

Surprisingly, the shopping went smoothly.

Yuuki timidly holds onto the hem of my shirt as I walk ahead.

But when she wants to go in a certain direction, she subtly tugs or adjusts her grip to let me know. It’s like I’m a horse being led. Not that I mind, but still…

“We’ve been walking all day. You’re not tired?”

“I’m okay… but… ah…”

Yuuki, who’s gotten a bit more talkative as she warms up, looks at me and opens her mouth.

“Sorry, Kouki-kun. You must be tired…”

“Nah, I’m fi—hey, stop pulling, stop pulling!”

The strength with which Yuuki tugs my shirt—my reins—is surprisingly strong for her small, animal-like appearance.

It’s almost like Manami’s level of…

“Wait, where are we going? This is taking us away from the department store!”

“…This way.”

Yuuki doesn’t take no for an answer. Fine, I’ll just follow along…

She drags me along with determination until we arrive at…

“Karaoke?”

“…A break.”

Got it. She’s being considerate in her own way. Honestly, with all the bags I’m carrying, I can’t say I’m not tired…

“You don’t… want to?”

Still lightly pinching my shirt, Yuuki tilts her head, looking up at me questioningly.

Her eyes shimmer with uncertainty, like a nervous chihuahua.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yay!”

If she had a tail, it’d probably be wagging like crazy. She flashes a beaming smile and heads into the karaoke place.

I thought I’d handle talking to the staff, but to my surprise, Yuuki takes charge with ease, quickly sorting things out and grabbing the slip with our room number.

“You come here a lot?”

I ask as we climb the stairs.

“This place is my first time, but…”

She trails off, implying she’s no stranger to karaoke. It’s a bit unexpected, but in a way, the real surprise about Yuuki was waiting for me once we got to the room.

◇

“…You’re insanely good.”

I mutter, and Yuuki, hiding her face behind her hair, shakes her head vigorously, but the screen shows a near-perfect score.

It’s a recent song by a female artist, one you hear everywhere, but this…

“You could totally hold your own against those cover artists online…”

“N-No way, it’s not like that… not at all…”

Yuuki shakes her head even more, like a puppy or something.

“Don’t you ever think about trying it? Like, posting videos?”

“Eh!?”

Yuuki’s so shocked she forgets to hide her face.

“I don’t know much about it, but… I feel like you could really shine.”

I say it casually, but Yuuki lets out a thoughtful “Hmmm…” and starts mulling it over.

“Um…”

I’m about to tell her not to overthink it when—

“Could I… maybe do it?”

Yuuki looks at me, her voice soft but serious.

Her eyes, half-hidden by her bangs, flicker with a mix of anxiety and hope.

So I say…

“If we do it together, I bet you could.”

“Together?”

“Yeah. I mean, I can’t sing, obviously, but I’ll help with whatever I can.”

“With you, Kouki-kun…”

Yuuki looks down again, lost in thought.

I watch her quietly for a bit.

If Yuuki’s going to overcome her shyness, doing something she’s good at and building confidence seems like a great start.

After thinking it over for a while, Yuuki…

—Ping!

Please, let’s do it!

A rabbit sticker bursting with determination comes with her message.

Yuuki, still hiding behind her long bangs, looks straight at me.

This is her first step.

I’ve got to support her as she takes it.

“Leave it to me.”

We grin at each other.

While singing karaoke, we start messaging back and forth about what we’ll need.

“There are a lot of apps you can use just on your phone these days, huh?”

“Videos seem like a lot of work, but when they take off, it’s huge.”

“True…”

Apparently, you need a good microphone, maybe an audio interface, and editing software—some of which isn’t free. Yuuki keeps adding gear to her ‘shopping list’ in our messages, almost to the point where I’m worried about her wallet.

“Well, we can figure out the budget later…”

Watching Yuuki pick out equipment with such a serious expression makes me glad I brought it up.

◇

That night, I report everything in our group chat…

Whoa! Like a singing streamer! That’s awesome! Sounds super fun!

Manami’s high-energy message comes flying in.

I heard some people go pro by posting videos!

Really? That’s wild.

Pro, huh… Yuuki sends a rabbit sticker frantically making an ‘X’ with its paws.

Yuuki, you’re that good at singing?

Aisa sends a bear sticker full of anticipation along with her message.

I think she’s better than some of the people on video sites.

Whoa! Kouki-nii’s seal of approval!

Yuuki’s rabbit sticker shakes its head even more furiously.

Well, then. Maybe I should get her autograph now.

Aisa, unusually playful, jumps in, and Yuuki’s stickers get even more frantic.

Oh! Good idea! Gotta come up with a signature!

And a name for her videos, too, right?

Right. Yuuki, got any names in mind?

Oh! I’ve got a great one!

The group chat’s going wild, completely leaving Yuuki behind.

Of course, you can tell from her rabbit stickers’ movements that she’s excited too, but…

“She’s probably not keeping up with those two.”

It’s less about typing speed and more about the pace of their conversation.

“Hopefully, she’ll get used to this little by little.”

More than how her singing videos turn out, I just hope Yuuki gains confidence bit by bit as we go, watching everyone’s banter in the chat.